Health law could be boon for safety net providers -- and crooks

News outlets report on how the law might affect clinics serving the poor, concerns about scams and details about how the individual mandate will work.

California Health Report: ACA Brings Opportunities, Challenges To Clinics Serving The Poor
With all Americans required to enroll in health insurance under the Affordable Care Act, will the existing safety net clinics become a thing of the past? For generations, grassroots-style community clinics have worked to fill the coverage gap; their mandate, to treat any patient who walks in the door, regardless of ability to pay (Bartos, 9/3).

The Philadelphia Inquirer: Beware Of Health-Insurance Scams Under ACA
Confused is the word many Americans are using to describe the Affordable Care Act…"Confusion is a crook's best friend," said James Quiggle, communications director at the Coalition Against Insurance Fraud in Washington. In ACA fraud, the key objective is your medical record (9/1).

Kaiser Health News: FAQ: How Will The Individual Mandate Work?
The federal health law's individual mandate, one of the key building blocks of the insurance overhaul, remains controversial as the October start date approaches for enrolling in new online marketplaces. Individuals who don't get insurance through work will shop for insurance on these websites for policies that will take effect in January. … Despite all that attention to the mandate, 26 percent of Americans aren't aware of the requirement or didn't think the law included it, according to a March 2013 Kaiser Family Foundation poll. Here are some basic questions and answers about mandate (Tran, 9/3).